


See You Again

by sunnynights



Category: The Adventure Zone (Podcast)
Genre: F/M, Flashbacks, Loneliness, Past Relationship(s), Post-Canon, Post-Episode: e067-069 Story and Song Parts 1-3, fuck i love magnus, he just really misses julia guys, magnus and lucretia are best friends
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-02-04
Updated: 2020-02-04
Packaged: 2021-02-21 12:29:58
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,780
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22560940
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/sunnynights/pseuds/sunnynights
Summary: Magnus gripped the device hard, like it was rooting him to the ground. "So I can see the past with this?"
Relationships: Julia Burnsides/Magnus Burnsides, Magnus Burnsides & The Director | Lucretia
Comments: 9
Kudos: 31





	See You Again

The first thing Magnus did after the dust had settled on the Day of Story and Song was carve. He started with small scraps of wood, refining his technique. He then began getting back into woodworking. Dressers, chests, shelves. Using his hands, so accustomed to protecting and destroying, to create. And once he was finally, _finally_ good enough, he made the chair. A heavy rocking chair of black oak, fragrant with lavender polish. Carved delicately into the top rail was her name.

He should have been holding his wife in this chair, could have been rocking his children to sleep in it. Instead, he sat alone in his little cottage on the ruins of Raven's Roost, flipping listlessly through a book and ignoring the voice in his head telling him to stop living in the past. It was on one of these nights that Magnus' attention was drawn away from his thinking by a knock on the door. The puppies sleeping at his feet, a bloodhound and a Scottish Deerhound, shot up and scampered towards the sound. He shook his head good-naturedly as Noelle and Johann barked and yipped and ignored their training. Magnus scooped up both dogs with one hand before opening the door.

A rush of cool mountain air washed over Magnus as he peered outside. There was no one there, just a small metal chest on his doorstep. He frowned and bent to pick it up when the chest extended two metal legs and walked itself into the house. Magnus opened his mouth to protest but it already made its way inside and waited in the living room. "Okay, what the fuck?" he muttered. Magnus set the dogs down and cautiously approached the chest. It allowed itself to be lifted, retracting its legs, and Magnus heard a metallic click as the top unlocked itself.

Inside the chest was just one object, square and metal. As soon as Magnus opened the chest, a nasal voice called out nervously.

"Hey, Magnus? It's Lucas."

Magnus rolled his eyes and went to close the chest.

"Wait! Wait, hear me out."

Magnus sighed and carried the chest to his chair, settling in. "What do you want, Lucas?"

"I, well... Do you remember back in my lab, you told me if you ever saw me again, you'd kill me? That was just a goof, right? Because like, we saw each other when we were fighting the Hunger and you didn't kill me. But we kinda had bigger fish to fry so I don't know if we're cool or not."

"The longer you talk, the more real my threat is."

"Shit. Right, okay. I've been doing a lot of work in Neverwinter, good work. And I've been getting help from Lucretia and Angus and everyone else on my new school for the arcane sciences. So our chances of running into each other again are fairly high. And I'm not planning on getting murdered,"

"Well no one ever _plans_ on getting murdered,"

"Right, so I have a peace offering. Open up the compact."

Magnus obliged. The shiny exterior of the metal square was terribly scuffed. Once opened, Magnus could see the top half had five squares. Two of them were a dull grey, but three squares lightly glowed green. The bottom half was a mess of wires covered by glass with two thumb-shaped indents. "What is this?"

"My lab got a little destroyed after the fight, so I've been picking through the remains. This is something I cooked up a long time ago, back in the early stages of my planar research. It basically lets you look into any point in the Prime Material Plane for one minute, as long as the person touching it lived through it."

Magnus gripped the device hard, like it was rooting him to the ground. "So I can see the past with this?"

"In simple words, yes. It's only got three charges left, and I don't really have the means or intention to fix it, so it's yours. You can share it with Taako and Merle if you want, or keep it to yourself, I don't care. I'm tired of holding on to something I can't get back."

"Th...thank you, Lucas."

"No problem. Please don't kill me if we ever..." The voice was cut off by Magnus shutting the chest. He loosened his grasp, now holding the device more delicately. He could see her with this. He could see their old life, one last time. But not now, not yet. Magnus rose and placed it on the mantle before going to bed.

The device sat there for days, weeks. Every spare moment Magnus had was spent thinking about what he would use it for. He knew he should probably share the charges. But Barry had Lup, Lup had Taako, Taako had Kravitz and Angus. Merle was happy with his children, and Davenport had more future to explore than bygones to relive. All seven birds had settled into their new lives and moved on except for him. And of course, the one that had only ever known loneliness, the one whose job had been to remember the past.

——————————————————

Lucretia held the device and looked it over. Magnus could practically see the gears in her head turning at breakneck speed. "What are you asking me to do?"

He guided her hand to one of the thumbprints. His filled the other. "Just stay with me." Magnus closed his eyes, felt Lucas' machine spark under his finger. When he opened them, he was outside the Hammer and Tongs in the dead of night. Just like when June and the Temporal Chalice showed him visions of the past, Magnus watched the scene from afar. Lucretia stood a few steps away. He could see a large gathering of people, holding torches and rustic weapons. He could see Steven Waxmen, he could see a much younger version of himself. And between them, standing on a wooden crate before the crowd, was Julia.

Magnus almost fell to his knees at the sight of his wife. It was like being pierced in the chest. She was shouting something to the makeshift army and they roared in approval. She spoke of rebellion, freedom, fighting together. Her eyes glowed in the torchlight like twin flames, warm enough to bring hope and strong enough to burn the world down. Julia _was_ fire. A beautiful inferno of rage and passion that seared him to his core. She kept saying a name that Magnus couldn't understand, but he didn't even notice. It took every ounce of his composure not to rush in and take her into his arms.

She stepped down from the crate. Steven put his hands on her shoulders and kissed her forehead, beaming with pride. Magnus held out a handaxe to her. She took it with one hand and swung her other arm around his neck, pulling him close.

"What did you think?"

"Julia Waxmen, I'm thinking I want to marry you."

She grinned. "I'll hold you to that, Burnsides. After the fight, I want a real proposal."

As their lips met, Magnus could feel the vision starting to fade. _"Fuck. Fuck, no, no, no."_ The scene before him began to be replaced by his living room, partially obscured by the tears pouring from his eyes. Without thinking, Magnus lifted his finger up and put it back down, sending him into a new memory.

They were still in Raven's Roost but a little ways away from the houses and shops in town. A wide patch of greenery, surrounded by the natural rock formations. Magnus stood in a picturesque gazebo, his scruffy hair trimmed and his craftsman attire traded for a neat suit. The entire town sat in the benches before him, buzzing with excitement. Steven Waxmen, also tidied up for the occasion, lead Julia to the altar.

Her mass of curls was held by a white veil rather than her signature red bandana. The simple gown of cream lace complimented her dark skin and hugged every curve. She stepped gracefully and took Magnus's hands without a hint of doubt or hesitation. In this moment, and every moment that had come before or after, she was the most beautiful woman Magnus had ever seen.

"Gods, Jules, I..." Magnus' voice cracked as he just stared. She was his everything, his future, his forever.

"You clean up well yourself." Magnus could see her eyes were misty as well, full of love. "Hope you built our bed as sturdy as this gazebo." She gave him a cheeky wink, and he flushed bright red as the priest cleared his throat. 

Magnus watched his wedding, taking in the happiest day of his life. All too soon, the clergyman's voice faded out and the vision ended. He slumped to the floor, barely acknowledging the dogs licking his face or his tight hold on Lucretia's hand. Finally, he exhaled deeply and wiped his eyes.

Lucretia squeezed his hand, her face also tear-stained. After a while, she finally spoke. "Magnus," she said softly. "Why did you show me this?"

"You hurt us by taking away our memories. But I wanted you to see that you did good too. You gave me Julia, you brought me happiness. I don’t know if I’ve said it yet but I forgive you.”

Lucretia fell into his arms. Her voice wavered. “Why don’t I feel happy that we’ve won? Magnus, I don’t know what to do now. The rest of the birds won’t even talk to me, and the mission we spent our whole lives on is over. How do you move on from the past?”

“I don’t know, it’s something I’m still working on. I don’t think you _can_ completely move on. You just use what you’ve felt, what you’ve learned, and apply it to whatever comes next. I think you’re doing great, Lucretia. You’re protecting people, fixing our mistakes. That mission is never over.“ He smiled warmly as he held out the device. Four of the five squares were now grey and empty. "Here. One last charge.”

She shook her head. “I’ve got a pretty good memory. You keep it, in case you need to see her again.”

“Maybe I shouldn’t. I’ll see her soon enough.”

“Don’t say that. We need you here.”

Lucretia and Magnus held each other tightly. On the outside, they were a woman in her fifties and a man in his forties. But inside, they were eighteen and twenty-two, red-robed and nervous but hopeful. Different in so many ways but bound by a friendship born not only of time but of kindness, understanding. What a luxury it was to love, to plan for a future, to remember.

**Author's Note:**

> Is there a cohesive theme to this story? No. But is it well written? Also no. I Just think Magnus is a very interesting character and also I'm deeply in love with him goodbye


End file.
